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later. After a night’s sleep the researchers asked them to recite the word pairs again. The older adults were 55% less accurate in their recitation than the younger adults. Furthermore, brain scans found that the older adults had a 75% lower quality of sleep than the younger adults. The study at Berkeley suggests the extent to which diminished sleep quality harms our short-term memory. During deep sleep, the brain generates slow brain waves that transport memories from the brain’s short-term storage area (the hippocampus) to the long-term storage area (the prefrontal cortex). When we sleep poorly, those slow brain waves fail to do their work. As a result, our short-term memories, stranded without a “ride” to the prefrontal cortex, get stuck in the hippocampus overnight. The next day, these memories disappear as newer memories come in for short-term storage.

The link between sleep quality and short-term memory loss suggests possibilities for future treatment that might stimulate the brain’s generation of slow brain waves during sleep. Slow brain waves might be facilitated by electrical stimulation or by pharmaceuticals. In the meantime, consider the following steps you might take to improve your quality of sleep:

According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, most adults need at least eight hours of sleep per night in order to function at full capacity during the day. In reality, a third of U.S. adults get less than seven hours of sleep each night, and 38% of adults surveyed reported falling asleep unintentionally during the day within the past month. Sleep deprivation affects seniors even more than it does middle aged and younger adults. Untreated medical conditions can play a disruptive role in your sleep cycle. Everyday behaviors such as use of electronics, smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption can also be disruptive at night. If you are among the many older adults who find sleep hard to come by, the solution could be as simple as talking to a doctor and reassessing your everyday habits.Sleep deprivation and short-term memoryThere is evidence that sleep deprivation is one of the root causes of age-related short-term memory loss. A study at the Univer-sity of California at Berkeley examined the link between sleep, memory and age. Around 30 healthy adults learned a series of word pairs and recited them from memory ten minutes

July 2020

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

continued on page 2

Sunscreen & Skin AgingIn midsummer, with the sun at its hottest, sunscreen is a must if you’re planning to spend any time outdoors.We all know that sunscreen provides protection against skin-damaging UV rays. Now, research suggests that sunscreen also contributes to younger looking skin. Skin develops wrinkles, liver spots and other signs of ag-ing in a process called “photoaging.” It turns out that the sun’s UV rays are a primary cause of this process. A study published this summer in the Annals of Internal Medi-cine found that protecting yourself from UV rays via sunscreen can significantly reduce wrinkling and other signs of skin aging.

Researchers tracked over 900 healthy adults over a four year period. Participants were divided into groups. One group was told to apply sunscreen daily, and given instructions to reapply sunscreen after sweating or pro-longed sun exposure. The other group was simply told to apply sunscreen at their discretion.

Those who were told to apply sunscreen daily showed 24% less skin aging than the group that only used sun-screen when they felt like it. Researchers had long sus-pected that sunscreen prevented skin aging. Photographs of elderly truck drivers have been published supporting this theory. One photograph shows a truck driver with heavy wrinkles on the left side of his face, and smooth skin on the right side. Can you guess why? Long hours on the road had exposed the left side of his face to the sun’s rays, over a period of 28 years. Throughout his long career, the right side of his face had been protected by the interior of his truck.

The study in Australia is the first scientific proof that skin aging can be prevented by sunscreen. So before you step outside, be sure to lather up.

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 2, 1776. John Adams believed that July 2nd would be the date remembered throughout history as Independence Day. He was just two days off. We celebrate July 4th because that’s when Congress officially accepted the Declaration of Independence.

The first shot of the American Revolution was fired on the Lexington Green, early in the morning of April 19th, 1775. The shot was fired as the American militia retreat-ed in the face of the British Army. Neither side had given orders to fire. To this day, no one knows who fired what history remembers as “the shot heard round the world.”

Thomas Jefferson was chosen to pen the Declaration based on his superior writing skills. The founding fathers kept only Jefferson’s preamble – which included the line “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Jefferson’s first draft of the Declaration contained a section that decried slavery and was later removed by slave-owning delegates. This section laid blame on King George III for instituting and fueling the slave trade:“He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of INFIDEL powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce.”

Only eight of the 56 signers of the Declaration were born in the American colonies. The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin, at 70 years old.

According to the U.S. census, there were about 2.5 million people living in the U.S. in 1776. Today there are 325 million.

The Declaration of Independence

“Sleep” continued from page 1

Fourth of July TriviaThe Fourth of July marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, the first major step toward the establishment of the United States as we know it today. The events surrounding the Declaration of Independence, from the earliest uprisings against the British to the later debates about the role of federal government, are full of fascinating history, lore and interesting ideas. Test your knowledge of this period by taking the Fourth of July Trivia challenge and find the answers on the back cover of the newsletter.

1. Known for his poetic eloquence, who was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence?

2. Who were the three authors of the series of articles in favor of adopting the United States Constitution, collectively known now as The Federalist Papers?

3. Who was General George Washington’s top aide during the American Revolution, later to become United States Secretary of Treasury?

4. Which Founding Father became the shortest President in United States History?

5. Who were the two Founding Fathers that both died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence?

6. In an early draft of the Declaration of Independence, one passage was deleted after sparking intense argument between the delegates gathered in Philadelphia. What institution did this passage attack?

7. The Declaration’s principles of personal liberty, best expressed by the phrase “we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal,” explicitly left out women. In 1846, Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted and read a document declaring the equal rights of women in Seneca Falls, New York. Modeled after the Declaration of Independence, what was the title of this document?

8. Who famously declared “Give me liberty, or give me death!” and later became a fierce opponent of adopting the United States Constitution?

9. What was the term for Americans who sided with the British during the Revolution?

10. What was the term for an American who opposed adopting the Constitution?

11. Who was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence?

12. What are first words of the Declaration of Independence (circle one)? a. “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union...” b. “When in the course of human events . . .” c. “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” d. “Governments are instituted among men...”

• Avoid alcohol, caffeine or nicotine before bed. • Give yourself time to relax before going to sleep. Avoid strenuous exercise late at night. Instead, exercise regularly during the day to maximize your exposure to daylight and help your body establish a natural rhythm.• Avoid the use of electronics late at night. Computers, TV, cell phones, and tablets stimulate the brain and make winding down more difficult.• Stay away from bright lights late at night. Spend time before bed in a dimly lit room (preferably your bedroom). • Avoid late-afternoon or evening naps.• Avoid large meals right before bedtime.

In today’s hyperactive world, the importance of sleep may not seem all that obvious. It’s important to remember that a good night’s sleep can make a world of difference in the quality of your waking life.

2 3

Trivia Answers 1. Thomas Jefferson2. Alexander Hamilton, John Jay & James Madison3. Alexander Hamilton4. James Madison5. Thomas Jefferson & John Adams6. Slavery7. Declaration of Sentiments8. Patrick Henry9. Royalist10. Anti-Federalist11. Benjamin Franklin12. b. “When in the course of human events...”

Mission We are a Catholic health ministry, providing

healing and care for the whole person, in service to all in our communities.

Our HeritageYouville Assisted Living Residences are communities grounded in the spirit of

St. Marguerite d’Youville, foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, “Grey Nuns.” Trusting in

God’s love, each community serves all those in need with compassion and respect.

Happy Birthday!Carl D. July 9Minna H. July 17Claire E. July 19Sr. Janet G.. July 25Jane B. July 27Patricia T. July 29

Transportation ServicesTransportation HoursMonday through Friday8:00 AM - 2:00 PMThe fee for transportation is $10.00 for Lexington and $20.00 for surrounding communities. Please see the Programs Department with any questions. We will make every effort to accommodate your wishes, but please understand that no transportation can be guaranteed with less than 48 hours notice.

Shopping RequestsYouville offers concierge service for your shopping needs every Tuesday. Shopping forms are available at the Reception desk. A surcharge of $5.00 will be charged for requests exceeding five items.

Youville Place Management Team

Nicole Breslin CEO & PresidentJoanne Scianna COO Tom Landry Director of Human ResourcesKathleen Kelleher Director of Mission & Spiritual CarePaula Desmond-Wallace Regional ControllerKatie Blanchard Director of Programs Susan Snow Director of MarketingKathryn Carlino, RN Director of WellnessDan MacRae Director of Dining ServicesBob Salamanca Director of Environmental ServicesVirginia Ellis Director of Community Life Yanira Burgos Director of Community RelationsMelissa McGee Director of the Courtyard

Spiritual

Physical

Cognitive

Nutritional

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” –– John Muir

Do you remember the first time you saw the ocean or reached the peak of a tall mountain? Or a time you first encountered an enormous waterfall, or saw the Grand Canyon? Whatever the experiences may be, encounters with the natural world leave vivid impressions on us. Nature’s awe-inspiring mystery coexists with fascinating, particular details. The feeling of vastness when looking at the ocean mingles with observations of shells, rocks and small critters we find on the beach. The sense of hidden, secret life in a forest is the perpetual backdrop of our discoveries of animals, trails, trees, streams and rock formations.

Nature is a place where imagination can roam free while we make new discoveries about the outer world and our inner selves. There is growing concern among a group of researchers, doctors and scientists that our lack of access to nature is harming us, and that more frequentexposure to nature can be highly therapeutic. So-called “ecotherapists” are even going so far as to write prescriptions for their patients to take walks in the park to help lower blood pressure, stress and depression. This approach to medicine may sound unusual, but it has been around for a long time.

If you became ill in the 18th or 19th century, your doctor might have prescribed a few weeks by the seaside or high up in a mountain resort. The “nature cure” was thought of as an effective remedy for conditions ranging from fevers and chronic illnesses to nervous breakdowns. Taking in the air by the sea was more likely to help a patient recuperate than the city air that had become increasingly polluted since the Industrial Revolution. A study in Germany in the 1800s found that tuberculosis patients recovered when they spent time in pine forests, particularly when there was moisture in the air, because of the healing properties of the compounds released by the trees. Today, science has confirmed that evergreen trees release compounds called phytoncides that are related to improved immune functioning.

One of the pioneers of ecotherapy is Craig Chalquist, the chair of the East-West Psychology Department at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Mr. Chalquist claimed that soil contains a bacteria that, when held in the hand for 20 minutes, will increase a person’s mood! The evidence supporting this relies on experiments with mice, whose serotonin levels showed a measurable increase when exposed to the bacteria found in soil. Another ecotherapist named Dr. J. Phoenix Smith reinforced this idea, claiming to

July 2020The Healing Power of Nature

continued

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Atlantic writer James Hamblin that “soil has healing properties that can thwart depression.”

A walk in the park is not meant to replace your blood pressure medication or therapy sessions, but there is a convincing case to be made that nature therapy is an effective supplemental therapy that should be taken seriously.

One study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that people who took walks in a natural setting were found to have less activity in the part of the brain associated with pessimistic thinking, compared with a control group who walked in an urban environment. Another study linked access to nature with improved post-surgical recovery times and reduced stress. The effects of stress and the stress hormone cortisol are well-documented for the harm they have on our overall health. The presence of too much cortisol is a risk factor for heart disease, cognitive decline, depression, anxiety and weight gain. A National Institute of Health study examining the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” found that simply looking at forest scenery for 20 minutes was enough to decrease cortisol levels in people by 13%!

Why We Respond to NatureAccording to the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, “Our species evolved in forests. We spent the first several million years of our existence in them. Then, a couple of millennia ago – in evolutionary time scale, only yesterday – our adventurous spirits inspired a global exploration. This morning, we invented cities. A bit before the noonday break we became industrialized civilizations. Suddenly, while our genes are still living in the forest, our bodies live in the busy, stressful conditions of modern civilization.”

In other words, we are genetically wired to thrive in natural settings.

When Frederick Law Olmsted was designing his famous urban landscapes, he was convinced that access to nature was essential for a healthy democratic society. He may not have known about cortisol or serotonin, but he had an instinctive grasp that nature was profoundly healthy. As a society and as individuals, we are all better off for this instinct.

Dance is one of the few cardiovascular workouts that enables you to connect physically with music in a structured setting. Regular dancing strengthens bones and tones muscles throughout the body.

Dark leafy greens are a rich source of vitamins C, K, E and B, as well as iron, calcium and fiber, which are essential for good health.

Meditation and prayer are arguably the two most common spiritual practices in the world. These practices not only connect us with faith traditions, but engage the spark of life at the center of our being.

Even with a lifetime of facts and impressions crammed into our brains, we always have the ability to learn new things. The brain retains what is called “neuroplasticity” in later life, the ability to make new neural pathways.

Crafts such as knitting, crocheting,

painting, cooking, woodworking or gardening offer a unique mix of experiences that promote mental and emotional wellness, and may even protect against age-related cognitive decline.

Get fit. Stay sharp. Age well.©